Trap



Aug. 21, 1923. 1,465,528

, J. L. RUFTY TRAP Filed April 24 1925 To all {Lb/1.0m it' may concern.'

Patented Aug. 2l, i923.

"TRAP iiipplicarieniedlefpril 24, 1923. .se'riai'NQ. 634,350, jY

' Be it known that l, JAMES LE'EBFTY, a

citizen of the United States of ri'merica`,'and resident olf-StonyPoint, V1n the countyor" Y Alexander and State/.of North Carolina,

have invented "certain new andfuseul lnr provements in Traps, of which'the "follow-` ing is a specification.y A Y Y K This inventionrelatesito Vanimal traps,

and hasfspecial"reference to the type o an imal trap which is' known Vasa jawtrapj. vIn ordinary construction of traps oft1 kind, -two jawsare employed,"which' are generally of arcuate form and [which 'are'pivoted at the ends; of the arcs .to" a base plate; A le'a springisfposititnedY 'on the base plate so that its ends are free'from the meansof regulating the tensionofthev leaf sprmfr, and when the spring becomesl weakened rrom any cause, the' entire trap musi. Vbe discarded. 'Y YThe principal object of the present Vinven 4 t'ion is to rprovideanimproved generali construction of tra f wh'erein s vecial sorin L L ztrap so that different sized animals may be caught thereby withoutundueV injury to the pelt,.while at the same time securely holding theanimal.

ith the above and otherY objects in view as will be hereinafterapparent, the invention consists in genera-1 of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter Afully described,illustrat-v ed inthe accompanying drawingsand specifically claimed. l

In the accompanying drawings like chan acters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a trap construct-k ed in accordance with thisvinvention;

Fig, 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionthrough the trap. Y

In the embodiment of the invention hereinillustrated, there is provideda base plate 10, having at each end an upstanding por-v tion 11. Thejaws of this trap are of the usual arcuate form as shown at 12,andhaving 'laterali iis Y standing g lug 16 at fromrthe middle ofeachshaft Vis a pin'21. 1i

'y entending V'e n ds` '13, which Vare pivote'd in the upstandin'fportions'l'llof the Y allow the `under edges of the jaws to engage theleg (motherk part-'ofthe lanimal being.;

Both jaws being so tapered makes the 'under` edges oi the jaws embedthemselves in vthe Y V.aninialslieg ftions'o' the' jawsv 18 are threadedandV pro- Y .vided'with nuts 14e; to prevent `these ends vfrom beingpulled outof the base plate,"and V thus freeing the awsf. the base plateis extended transversely,f as shown at 15, and theendsofthese transverse*portions are turned upward to provide bear- Preerably, vthe pivotalpor-Adj acent each end will thusr obsery'iedtha't't'li'ere is a engaged byafV pawl V20vr carried the up-H this` end. Projecting At`22 isa spring'which is Iformed'ffr'o'rnV a'.

- .singlel Vlength or; 'one-eighth?inchf'rod or wire,"which`is'doubled'in/the middle," andhas this doubled portion engagingv the pin21V. VThis' spring has its ends coiled around the respective shafts 17,eachv end being coiledY in Vthe Y same Vdirection from thev 'doubled'portion sothat there isv 'produced a right and left-handed coil at eachside of the doubled portion, as indicated at 22. The terminal portionsof these coils extend'lat-v erally from the springs, as at 28, andengage yoke members 24C which engage the ends13V of the j alws,and'thusthe springs urgethese yoke members and the jaws to closed posi-.

tion.

It' will be obvious'from this construction t that the' tension of thespring may be Aregulated by turning the respective shafts witha suitableclock key, the pawl and ratchet arrangement holding the springs inadvjusted position. Y

Extending laterally from the middle ofthe trappedju'stga little' beforethe upper part.

ing lugs 16 whereinare journalle'd the shafts' plate, thespringbemgsecured in the mid-' 17 *1 d le, andthese ends Yurgegthe jaws to' closedposition. f 'With this"constructionk the'revfis no' base plate 10 is a'trigger plate 25, which carries a trigger 26 pivoted at its outer endand arranged to fold over one of the jaws 12, and be held in suchposition by means oic a latch 27 carrying avtreadle 255V positionedbetween the jaws'when the latter are open. Thus, `when the animal rstepson the treadle, the

ilo"

latch releases the trigger 26, and the jaws snap closed under thelinfluence of the springs.

There has thus v*been provided asiinple and etcient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified.

it is obvious that minor changes may be 'Vniade in the form andVconstruction of the invention without in Y any way Vdeparting from thematerial spirit thereof. It is not,

therefore, desired to confine the invention I Yto the exact Tform hereinshown and scribed, but it is desired "plate, independent spring means ateachend of the plate engaging the jaivsland urging them .to close, saidspring "means being tension adjusted positions; 2f An'animal trap ofthe` lrind described including ahase plate, a. pair oit cooperating:jaws having laterally extending ends pivoted to the hase'plate atyopposite ends of said plate, a transverse lshatt `iournalled at 'eachend of said plate,a coil springk on each Y shafthaving one terminalportion connected to the shaft, means end 'of said spring and means to.hold actuated by "thev other for closing said jaws, the 'shaftadjustably against rotationloy said spring.

3. vAn animaltrap of the classdeserihed oted to the roperly vcomeVwitnin the' scope claif'ned.,v

Y mounted for ladj nst'me'nt loi' their tensions,

y and ineans Lto Ahold the springs releasahly Qin and close the jaws,shaft, and a pawl mounted at'eachend ofthe i includinga hase plate,apairfof cooperating jaws having'laterally extending ends pivhase plateat opposite ends of said plate,':.transv'erse ishats each journalled ata respective end of said plate, a spring on spring rod having theportions adjacent the doubled part coiled in Llike direct-ions aroundsaid shaft whereby'to :torina right and lett hand spiral, the terminalportions fo'fvsaid coils extending laterally there-from', VKmeansyengaged by the terminal portions ot and actuated 'by the springs` forclosingy saidjjaws, and means to' .against rotation.

hold thev s shafts adjustably" 4; An animal trap of theclassdescrihedincluding a base plate, a pair of cooperating jaws having laterallyextending ends' piv o'ted to the hase plate at opposite ends of saidplate', transverse respective end of said' plate, a spring on ea chfshaft,

doubled spring rod having the portionsiadrections around saidf'shaftwhereby tofo'rm a right and a'left'hand spiral,"the,terminal portions'of'said' coils .extending laterally therefrom, a yoke ateach end of theplate having' its arms pivotedi on the respectiveY shaftV and'having itscentral portion engaging beneath the ends ofptheV ljaws, said springshavingA their' terminal portions tengaging lbeneath Asaid a ratchetfixed on'each plate engaging thel respective ratchet.

' JAMKS'LEE shafts 'each journalled ata yokes .to raisethe .yoke-s,

each spring Vconsisting'` of a f 6() jacent the doubledV part coiledin"rlike di? V'each shaft, each spring consisting ot' a doubled A

